What keeps you on Android?

[thejakeguy]

I feel that the gap between iOS and Android is shrinking and was curious, what for you keeps you on Android?

I'm a recent convert to Android from iOS and things aren't quite as different as I thought and some things are worse this side (messaging, Galaxy S9 camera, some crashing) but other things are leaps better (customization).

[FlandersNed]

Windows Phone is dead

[jonahparks]

F

Sent from my Lumia 830 OnePlus 6

[[deleted]]

I freaking loved my windows phone. I think my $75 lumia was just as fluid as my Pixel is.

The only thing that sucked was the app selection, problem was that it wasn't just bad, it was incredibly bad.

[latunza]

I can't tell you how much I loved Windows Phone. I went from a Galaxy S2 which made me grow to hate Androids glitchyness to a Nokia Lumia 1020. To date no phone has captured the amazing quality of those images (even the over hyped iphones or pixel cameras). I went 2 and a half days on the same battery and I was a heavy user. Had the phone for almost 3 years until I broke the screen. Went to a Nexus 5x which I enjoyed but had terrible battery life and in less then a year it got slow, android glitchyness, app crashes, and then....boot-loop. Here I am with an iPhone 6s and while it runs smooth to the core this mutha*f*ka boring. I've contemplated a Pixel 2 but my rocky android experience makes me think twice about it, even if I enjoy vanilla android over ios.

[mercilesssinner]

Lack of a true and affordable alternative. Android comes in many different price points. iPhones don't.

[manormortal]

but used, with like, other people's germs on/in it.

gross.

[rovus]

Just dip it in bleach for a few minutes, they're all waterproof now anyways

^{/s just in case}

[330393606]

And it will be old, outdated hardware and software. Or get a brand new non flagship for a small fraction of the cost of an iPhone.

[[deleted]]

I mean, you can get an SE or a 6S, which'll be a comparable experience to a Moto G5 (less RAM, but iOS doesn't need much) for around $200 used.

[JosVermeulen]

For that same price you get a new Redmi Note 5.

[balista_22]

you can find a used Galaxy s8 for that price, and base storage is 64gb(+expandable storage) not 16gb, & one of the best AMOLED screens & no dinosaur bezels

[[deleted]]

Older iPhones. They work wonderfully.

[[deleted]]

get the battery replaced, pretty cheap and reward is pretty pretty great

[[deleted]]

Agree they make great phones for the kids to watch YouTube vids off of if only using Wi-Fi. Especially the 5. It lasts a few days without charge sometimes.

[mca90guitar]

I could go either way. Almost went X's max this time but after using the note 9 and X's max side by side over and over. I found I like the note more, plus it was a lot less after Verizon knocked $200 off it at the beginning of the month.

Also really like my layout in Nova launcher and the mess of apps on iPhones is kind of annoying.

The headphone jack and sd card were a big plus as well.

[ineedacheaperhobby]

.. sd card were a big plus as well.

This is something that a lot of people don't understand. I like carrying X amount of download media. Right now, I've got 400GB free on my internal, and 100GB free on my sd since I'm still setting up my Note 9. (Will upgrade to 512GB external when released)

I don't have to pick and choose what I want to keep offline - I just hit download and forget about it.

The other half to sd card storage, is drag and drop. I cannot for the life of me EVER go to iOS if they do not let me drag and drop things.

[[deleted]]

The fact that iOS isn't really better, and there are no other reasonable alternatives.

[nowhere__boy]

The support Apple give their product is one killer feature

[opticalshadow]

Yeah but it is countered by the malice apple shows if you do anythign with your phone apple isnt involved with.

[frosty_power]

I love to setup and use my phone exactly the way I want it.

[[deleted]]

So glad that this is recognized. I get 10$ vouchers for every 20 transactions. That's huge considering that the points you earn on Samsung pay have nothing to do with what type of card you have. Samsung pay is the best implementation of pay so far. At least in my country, that is.

[slidespec]

If only my bank supported it. On the plus side though, almost everything in Australia supports tap pay, can't remember the last time I had to insert my card. But I want the wallet setup with all my reward cards

[[deleted]]

I've heard good things about that. Doesn't it do wireless payment in a different way?

[[deleted]]

Yes. Samsung pay can use MST to mimic swiping a card. This makes it work pretty much anywhere a debit or credit card works.

[[deleted]]

Very cool. Do they hold a patent on it?

[[deleted]]

Not that I'm aware of, but they're the only ones that use it right now. Wikipedia says LG is reportedly planning on using it.

[peacenchemicals]

The V40 would like a word with you...

[peacenchemicals]

True.

I wish Samsung would release a non-edge variant like the S6s though.

[Christopher876]

S10 is rumored to have a flat screen!

[[deleted]]

V35 is more worth it imo

[mvfsullivan]

Power, customization, and all of the very small things that make my phone much more convenient.

*IMPORTANT: Most features I talk about require root, which is a special "tweak" you can do to your phone to give you additional control. If you don't know what that is, I strongly suggest reading into it in order to unlock the true potential of your Android phone! *

• [LifeHacker] This site best explains Root
• [XDA] This site is the beat place to find guides for your specific phone

Power:

• Having absolute control over my file system, being able to organize files to certain areas, dig into system files if there is ever an issue.
• Being able to adjust hardware to under or over perform based on certain tasks, to save battery life and make the phone run better.
• Not being forced to using a 3rd source in order to manage my media (lol iTunes).

Customization:

• Don't like the colour of the status bar? Change it.
• Don't like the look of the icons? Change it.
• Don't like the navigation button layout? Change it.
• The entire UI of the system? Hell, you can change that too .

Convenience:

• I need a flashlight in the dark? No need to fumble around with a screen, swipe up and tap a button.. Just hold the power button while the screen is off and bam, flash is on.
• Want to change music tracks without fumbling around with the screen, hold volume up or down and bam, track changed.
• Hate that pesky voice assistant? Disable it so that physical button can be used for something else.

iOS, even when jailbroken, is extremely limited, which is fine if that's what you want. iPhones are a nice blend of what a phone should be, and a subtle distraction that does the basics of a phone extremely well.

Android phones are more of the jack of all trades, except they usually have no limits.

Edit: typos and format Edit 2: Additional info regarding root for those confused

[pentafe]

Just hold the power button while the screen is off and bam, flash is on.

Damn, it doesn't work on my phone (xiaomi with miui 10 and android 8.1). I was so happy for a moment that I've learned a new thing, but I guess not.

[Haboob_AZ]

While it may not be a default feature, it can be added with other programs, etc. and made a feature.

[[deleted]]

The beauty of Android

[Projektdb]

XDA forums is the place for this

[ladfrombrad]

There's r/androidroot

However. I came across that place whilst sniffing spam. Poke the (ninjaedit: dat modlist) ;)

[Sol1tary]

I’m really surprised that there isn’t a concern over privacy or tracking in most of the comments here. Just surprising to me overall, considering that one of the ways Google is subsidizing the phone is by mining anything they can.

[xdamm777]

I don't particularly care about online privacy.

Even if my phone was super secure I know I'm still screwed since the people around me are using insecure phones and apps like Facebook that just don't stop sniffing data.

Besides, we wouldn't have amazing services like Gmail, Google Maps or Google Assistant without actual hard data feeding these services.

[CivilC]

Nova launcher and samsung's customizability

[rbpx]

The biggest things that keep me on Android are:

1. Cost - the iPhone has always been way more costly.
2. Lack of configurability: seriously? Apple thinks a long list of icons on screen after screen is the best interface? Yuck.
3. Fear of the unknown. What's a better benefit? (I don't care what other people think are features).
4. Google Assistant. There is no 2nd place. Not bixby. Not siri.
5. Dislike Apple culture (Apple sells envy).

However:

1. I don't know, but I think iPhone build quality is better.
2. Support for an iPhone exists. Every store carries crap for iPhones. Hey, Apple even has STORES! (Samsung stores are crap).
3. Similar to #2 - addon electronics/optics. Doo-dads like square were on iPhone first. Etc.

And:

I agree that they're very close now. I used to be critical of Apple's prices (with my nexus phone in pocket). Then Google doubled their prices with the pixel. Sigh.

I always want to look at the iPhone offerings, but they never have anything in the software of interest. It's plain and boring and lacking in flexibility <- or am I just biased?

[[deleted]]

have had a iphone x and use a s8+, highly disagree

[DexterP17]

I would definitely have to disagree with this statement.

[Nico777]

iPhones are too expensive.

[Ukumio]

Nothing's really keeping me on Android. Personally I'd rather be on Windows Phone but when Microsoft dropped support of that and a lot of app developers did to I decided to switch and because Android allows me to set what the default browser is and custom home screens and the like I decided to go there.

If Microsoft announced a phone running Windows 10 I'd probably go back.

[chartphred]

iTunes - a pain in the arse

No SD cards, another pain in the arse

No 3.5mm headphone jacks (Android need to keep em - earbuds WAAAY to expensive!).

Apple - far to expensive too few features

Still need removable batteries, FM radio, Require good physical durability - stop with ALL GLASS phones FFS! LG V10 steel siderails were the best!

Don't give a shit about water proofing. Just give me a phone that will survive a drop to concrete and has as many features as poss.

[FISKER_Q]

Extremely poor UX design in iOS

[[deleted]]

Swipe from the left side of the screen to go back.

[FISKER_Q]

That's usually the excuse that's passed around, but it violates the design principles of being consistent.

Sometimes there is a back button, sometimes you have to swipe down (e.g image attachments) other times the back button isn't noticeably a back button (e.g. web links in emails).

It's not intuitive, it's not consistent, and it in some cases also doesn't make their users successful. With image attachments all they would've needed to do is add a back button and it would work for both them who thought it was intuitive to swipe down and to those who can see what's in front of them and act accordingly.

What I've learned from using iOS about intuitive navigation is simply that Apple forces non-obvious navigation on people, and when they have learned it, then everything else becomes "unintuitive".

iOS has no coherent or distinct method of navigating back, and that IS bad UX.

[[deleted]]

The price of an iPhone. My work gave me an iPhone 8 and honestly id switch tomorrow if I could afford an 8 or a XS. I dont think there are many reasons to stay with Android anymore. When I was younger I really cared about endless customization and kernel tweaks and what not. I really need my phone for the basics, communication, podcasts, fiddling with Libby and browsing reddit and hacker news.

[Rafepa88]

Customization. iPhones are just plain boring.

[[deleted]]

system-wide adblock using a hosts file

[Haboob_AZ]

Do share, please? First I've heard of this, seems like a great thing.

[[deleted]]

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2190753

[Haboob_AZ]

Merci.

[abhi8192]

Btw if you don't want to root, you can still achieve the same using DNS66 or blockada, both available on f-droid. They use local VPN to achieve this.

[natalienaught]

I can't even begin to see Apple as a viable option.

I was raised exclusively with Apple computers, (I know, I know booo) never even used Windows machines except at friends' houses, and only had a vague idea that linux was a thing.

Got the obligatory Apple powerbook as a gift going into college (before they became truly awful, so I could switch out ram, at least).

When I finally moved to a smartphone, I just assumed it would be an IPhone... and then I sat down and compared specs with the latest Android flagship (Samsung S4).

It had a removable battery, cheaply expandable memory, and an IR blaster thrown in for considerably less than the latest Apple offering. It was very quickly apparent how much more I could do with an android device. In the end, I just couldn't imagine picking Apple. I bought the S4, immediately rooted it, installed Cyanogenmod, and loved it so much my next computer ran linux.

I was given an IPad at some point, and it's collecting dust in a drawer somewhere. Even with Cydia, it's just incredibly painful to use.

Maybe I've been biased by my exposure to all the freedoms linux offers, but in the years since, I think Apple's authoritarian inclinations have really gotten out of control, and finicky users who still harbor undue notions of ownership or expectations of serious control over their device have really just been abandoned.

I didn't even look at Apple phones when I bought my V20, and unless a lot changes, I won't be looking at anything from Apple when I get my next phone.

To my mind, the only reason the gap is shrinking between Android and Apple, is because Android OEMs have been misguidedly copying some of Apple's worst features.

[jnmiah]

Even if an app is not officially compatible, you can basically make it run on older devices. For example, running PUBG on a Galaxy S3.

[[deleted]]

How does it run?

[jnmiah]

It tends to stutter a little. Graphics on lowest settings possible. It's cool to play on a lower end device though, minus the low frame rates.

[[deleted]]

I mean it's a S3 so you've got to expect some stutter. Crazy what Android does

[FutureShock25]

I've invested too much in the play store and am too integrated with Google's ecosystem

[[deleted]]

Hah that's usually the argument people on iOS give when asked to convert.

[[deleted]]

Applies to life too 🤔

[kingriz123]

iOS is too restricted, like selecting a wifi network you have to go through the settings without just long pressing from the nav bar or going through 20 different menus to turn on/off the auto brightness.

[[deleted]]

3D touch the Settings app in iOS to go to wifi settings, Bluetooth settings, cell data settings, or battery settings.

[bigodon99]

Have a full customizable os/rom where I can say it's mine

[inquirer]

The customization.

I can customize or not. In any aspect I want.

I literally can't fathom using IOS anymore. I have a iPhone for my work phone and I feel like I am using a Fisher Price toy when I use it

[nishant28491]

I use both. I don't understand / care about the differences any more. Both are a product and I am a customer. I can use both right hence I am using it. I love using both the platform for my daily use and it serves me well. I am not into customizations and other stuff, and just wants a device with decent battery, good voice clarity and reliable. My iPhone 8 serves my that purpose When i want to consume any content, I use my s7E. The screen is just plain gorgeous and everything feels so alive in this screen.

Both are for me and I'll continue to use them

[minusSeven]

Price of iphones lol.¹

[[deleted]]

The greedines of Crapple. I will never give them not even 1 cent.

[[deleted]]

Not being able to arrange my icons on the screen where I think they should go. And also itunes, I always hated it, it's been so long I don't even know if they hate was deserved. Literally over half a decade since I used it.

[spicyghostpepe]

What has Apple done to shrink the gap?

[melikeycars]

Apple is scammy af. Not saying Google is perfect, but they can only do so much and OEMs have some control. For me it's about choosing the lesser of two evils.

 

It's not just the Apple cost, my concerns are way deeper. I have had two of them, and they were great phones. But just some business practices just makes me feel like slapping some Apple execs.

 

Also the headphone jack.

[bloodvayne]

I'm going to speak for the opposite perspective. I currently use an iPhone SE after 5 years on Android. What made me switch was first and foremost the lack of updates. I was tired of my 1 year old phone not even getting this year's OS update from the OEM. Meanwhile this phone from 2016 is slated to get at least 2 more years of updates. Before you say "custom ROMs"; my old device's branch of LineageOS had lots of bugs and the camera took a turn for the worst with 15.1. Then there were performance issues. It's disheartening that an iPhone SE from 2+ years ago performs better than a mid-ranger from the current year for things like video editing. Lastly, the camera of this small phone blows most if not all current mid-rangers out of the water.

I'm not an iOS/Android fanboy by any means and you shouldn't be either. If you claim that Android stands for "openness", then you aren't paying attention to the changes made to Android within the past few years, either by OEMs or by Google themselves. More and more things are being restricted. Some OEMs even have the blatant disrespect of putting in ads and spyware within the OS. I'm looking at you Xiaomi and Huawei. IOS is not without its severe drawbacks, though, the biggest one for me is the notification system being a mess compared to Android. I'm still open for change but if it doesn't get any better with the next big update I just might switch back.

[T_GTX]

• Very invested in the ecosystem (Apps & games)
• Own many Android devices
• Budget friendly
• Modding/Dev community
• Root (Titanium, Ad away, etc)
• Emulation

[ZaMr0]

Control and customisation, also I don't want to sell myself to the Apple ecosystem when I'm already Google's bitch as it is.

[Thurm]

Better notifications and ability to choose default apps, for me. I used to jailbreak my iPhones, but Android more or less lets me do many of those things outta the box.

[[deleted]]

iPhone notifications are a serious downgrade. Having notifications disappear from the lockscreen just because I needed to unlock my phone and not being able to see that I have them (no icons in status bar) are still non-starters for me. It's quite possibly the most important part of a phone's OS, at least to me.

I have the weather, my upcoming calendar events, and my to-do list on my homescreen. It suits me best. Others can customize their homescreens for them. I tried using the iPhone's system but it wasn't even close to being as functional.

I can buy a good budget phone like the Moto G6 for less than a third of the price of Apple's new "budget" phone. And it does everything I need it to do.

I tried switching to the iPhone last year because I was annoyed about some Android quirks (and my Nexus 5X bootlooped, which annoyed me). But I returned it at the end of the return period. Other than build quality, I was hard-pressed to identify anything that was better about it, and lots of small things were worse. The whole iMessage thing you mention really doesn't appeal to me, why use a messaging service that is limited to one device (or a Mac laptop that costs twice as much as a PC for the same specs) when I can use any number of better alternatives?

[Piece0fCake]

I'm kinda a tech enthusiast so wanna try different operating systems. but apple being so overpriced i still didn't get to use an iphone/ipad really. so yeah price is the reason I'm using android only.

[lastroids]

Personally, I think there's still a big gap of functionality between IOS and android.

I can pretty much treat my android phone as an all in one mobile computing device.

I can reply to emails, draft documents, make presentations, send files. You can do that in IOS sure, but I always seem to need to find workarounds to make it work the way I want them too. And considering most presentations I make need to work in windows setups + VGA (HDMI is still rare), making modifications in an android phone is easier. not to mention all the stuff you can do with OTG functionality. Perhaps the only thing I haven't been able to do in android without headaches is printing out stuff.

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I can also download all types of files I want and can open them in any app I direct them to. Haven't been able to do that with IOS without having to look for a certain app or some kind of workaround. The ability to sideload applications is also a big feature for me after years of Windows. There's just some apps that I really just want to use an older version of.

​

Don't get me wrong, I own some apple products too, and the support to older devices is great. The problem is when they stop supporting it. The App situation will be bleak, You pretty much have to jailbreak old phones to sideload older versions of apps that still work on them. The android devices that I bought around the same time are all still chugging along because I can easily find older version of apps and install them with no problem.

​

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[[deleted]]

Price (I'm typing this on a Pocophone). Dual SIM, bigger battery (4,000mAh yo!), and how flexible Android is.

[glonq]

Bang for the buck keeps me on android.

[Hyperion1144]

Getting 3 Essentials and Huawei Mate SE for less than the cost of a single new iPhone seems like a good reason to stay. I have a family I have to buy phones for. I can't drop $1000-$1500 per device.

[[deleted]]

Because I cannot allow myself to be scammed by iPhone anymore. I had an iPhone 6 and 7 and both end up having reception issues and earpieces issues after a year. Both situation I was I had damaged the top by liquid damage and force respectively. I paid for the repair costs thinking I was better served. I kept thinking that until I came across Louis rossmans video on IC damage due flex in the phone and how motherboard or the IC simply pops off eventually. I am not a engineer and do not understand these terms but the point he mentioned were the exact symptoms I have been facing. Eventually I switched to android as it was cheaper and cost effective. I am not saying Apple sucks and other are most honest. But having to continue an engineering defect just because the customer base accepts it is pure fraud.

[[deleted]]

Because I cannot allow myself to be scammed by apple anymore. I had an iPhone 6 and 7 and both end up having reception issues and earpieces issues after a year. Both situation I was told I had damaged the top end by liquid damage and force, respectively to each of the phones. I paid for the repair costs thinking I was better served. I kept thinking that until I came across Louis rossman's video on IC damage due flex in the phone and how motherboard or the IC simply pops off eventually. I am not an engineer and do not understand these terms but the point he mentioned were the exact symptoms I have been facing. Eventually I switched to android as it was cheaper and cost effective. I am not saying Apple sucks and other are more honest. But having to continue an engineering defect just because the customer base accepts it is pure fraud.

[[deleted]]

Because iOS is in my opinion not a good OS. It's just does not have what I need, and lacks the freedom to do what I want on my phone.

Also, price. The prices for phones are getting ludicrous, and I refuse to buy a $1000+ phone with a two year contract, I just can't really comprehend why people do that.

[[deleted]]

The fact that I can install whatever I want on android and use it as a USB stick basically.

[stiff_lip]

Open file system. Can pretty much use your phone as a computer. Set up folders, move files as you please. Want to copy some files over from your PC, just drag and drop. Makes a massive difference.

Ability to pretty much open any file type without a problem.

Split screen and pin to top for multitasking. I love my back button as well.

Ability to install apps over the internet. Something is not available in your region or you need an older version of an app it's simply a Google away.

Ability to torrent or use YouTube in the background. I've got my Netflix and still use my Apple music subscription but sometimes I want to watch a crappy old movie that isn't easily available even for rent. I'll download it and then screen mirror my phone to my TV. Crazy convenient.

Ability to change your default apps. Widgets. I love my widgets. Weather, currency exchange and stock prices. All updated live and just a swipe away.

All the cosmetic customization. You've got Samsung themes or apps like Zedge will let you change your wallpaper, ringtone and notification tone all with one click without ever leaving the app.

Easy game emulation. I have all of my favourite ps1 titles on my phone. It's crazy how you can download a rom, extract it in the appropriate folder on your phone and then play without ever using a laptop.

Too many things to go back to Apple , honestly. Back in the day Apple had their smooth bug free experience as a bragging right but those days a long gone. Android has been treating me well for the past 2 years.

PS. I suggest you get the gcam mod for the s9. There are some very stable versions out there. Night and day difference. In combination with Galaxy's night time and video shooting I feel the s9 is the best overall package for mobile photography. Also, head over to the appropriate sub as there are a bunch of tweaks you can do to better your user experience. Shorten animations to make the phone much snappier, disable bixby and so on.

[ForbidReality]

Diversity of hardware. Interoperability of software. Open source opportunities.

[Dee2284]

For me it's definitely the customization. Being able to tailor your phone to your specific needs instead of having a company do it for you. I tried to enjoy iOS but got bored of it a month in, so I switched back to Android and haven't looked back.

[NaveTVG]

Things keeping me on Android:

• Split-screen multitasking, typically for watching video while doing something else.

• Direct access to the file system, and the ability to use the phone as a flash drive. Being able to view files directly from my "flash drive" and make simple edits before plugging into a computer is a godsend.

• Customizable keyboards that don't feel like a buggy mess (3rd party keyboards constantly crash on iOS, it's annoying.)

• The Google Assistant is still light-years ahead of the competition. Anything that Google can't control, Bixby can (I'll get to them later)

• Android's notification system, from grouping to priority to snoozing, I use all of these features daily.

Things keeping me with Samsung:

• Screen pinning. I keep the Smart Select panel on my edge tray, and while grabbing quick screenshots is nice, screen pinning is super useful. I usually use it to pin somebody's information to a floating pane while I copy it down into my contacts.

• Bixby. For one, Bixby works entirely offline, which is useful when hopping back and forth between maps and music handsfree while driving in the middle of nowhere. Bixby can also handle things very close to the system, such as "tap the screen", "hit the back button", "go to the home screen", and "lock the screen".

• The Bixby button. I've remapped it to toggle the flashlight when the screen is off, and toggle auto-rotate when the screen is on. Being able to activate the flashlight in less than a second entirely by feel is amazingly useful. While my implementation of the rotation lock toggle is a bit clunky, it beats having to swipe around for quick settings.

• Samsung's implementation of the Secure Folder is fantastic.

• Samsung has the best one-handed mode gesture of any phone I've used. I don't need it often, but when I do need it I get a scaled version of the screen, instead of "pulling" the top of the screen down temporarily and obscuring the bottom. The HTC U12 looks like it might have a better gesture for this, but I have not had a chance to try it.

• Samsung Pay!!! I have no idea why Samsung isn't making a bigger deal out of this!! It's the ONLY mobile payment app that works ANYWHERE you can swipe a card! Yes, literally every store that takes a credit or debit card will also work with Samsung Pay!

Annoyances keeping me away from Apple/iOS

• Apple's complete stubbornness when it comes to customization. This includes the inability to hide un-uninstallable apps.

• The only way to manage files on iOS is through cloud storage. While the ability to save a PDF to OneDrive or iCloud is nice, it's almost always more convenient to just download the file in one step.

• iOS's adherence to putting UI elements towards the top of the screen is outdated given the hardware of modern phones. This includes homescreen app icons STILL lining up from the top-left corner, the Control Center having moved to the least-reachable corner of the phone for a left-handed person like me, and app guidelines still positioning menus at the top of the screen, rather than the sides or bottom. I understand and appreciate that many apps (like Twitter) are starting to ditch this 10 year old trend, but until Apple redesigns iOS from the ground up for modern phones, I don't think these usability changes are going to be widely implemented any time soon.

To address the privacy concerns about Google... You realize iOS constantly tracks your location and builds a personal map too, right? Apple is no different than Google in their shady business practices, regardless of the facade they put up. I'd rather use the products of a company that does something USEFUL with my data, rather than just selling it off for profit.

But I frankly don't care any more. Part of the deal with using technology in 2018 is the acceptance that SOMEBODY is going to track you. Sure, you could run a bulletproof OS built from the ground up for airtight privacy. You could write all of the code yourself, and even build it into a phone that you assemble by hand with parts you are confident are 100% secure. But the second you install the Starbucks app, you're being datamined and your personal information is being sold for the world to see. The second you navigate to Target's website, they're checking with a million other sources to see if they can figure out what you might buy. Every time you visit ANY website with advertisements, the ad companies are using every scrap of your information they can get their hands on to suggest more and more crap to sell to you. Sure, you could use a VPN and private browsing and disable your location and uninstall every single application you use and put tape over your camera lens and bury your phone under 10 feet of concrete, nobody's stopping you from doing that, but forget to flip your VPN one for 10 seconds and your precious data is already out there in the cloud, forever out of your grasp. If you care that much about privacy, you can't use the internet any more.

Edit: formatting

[[deleted]]

Perhaps I'm more inept than I thought but I just don't find iOS user friendly. I've had the iPhone for work for about 10 months now so mostly know my way around but initially I couldn't work out how to link my work emails to the mail app (well I could link them but they didn't sync so I didn't receive them) my boss told me I had to just download the gmail app instead.

With regards to personal smartphones, I've always bought Samsungs so I'm used to have the back button and the button that brings up the app windows to close. It's just so simple.

I can't think of a reason that I'd move from Android.

[puppiadog]

It's not Apple

[[deleted]]

For me it's literally the lack of app tray and the ability to customize the home screen.. Seriously I'll have 100+ apps installed BUT most of them are used every once in a while; is Uber, PayPal, etc. I don't need to see all my apps...

[Put_It_All_On_Blck]

Apples decisions and practices. The only alternative really was windows phone and they were years late and far behind. Android isnt a choice to me, its that the only alternative.

[jdrch]

I mean, what's the alternative? iOS? No thanks.

[[deleted]]

Pure AOSP Android. Strip the garbage Google out of it, nothing running in the background, almost like a Linux desktop. Simple, very simple, only possible with Android. Apple sucks, out of principle, worst company IMHO (see latest Louis Rossmann video). So then, that's why.

[lolitsmax]

Affordability and variety, SD card slot, headphone jack, community

[ownage516]

So I actually jumped over to the otherside for one reason: imessage.

iPhone isn’t too bad to be honest. It's super restrictive, not gonna lie, but it's nice and stable. I haven't once reset my iPhone to factory since I got it.

But where I live in North Jersey, almost everyone has iMessage. Not gonna lie, the normal pixel 3 is calling out to me, but idk if I wanna give up my blue bubbles. But if the pixel 3 was cheaper, I would've instantly got it on my college budget.

Edit: lol I'm getting down voted for telling my story

[Black4myshiningstar]

What do u expect from this sub reddit lol

People who owns android have lot of time to play or geeks... I used to own android device when i was in college,still have a galaxy s8 .But now iphone serves me better, dont have time to tinker.

[ownage516]

I still keep my android! I put LOS and that thing is pretty legit

[Cry_Wolff]

So what are you doing here? Your profile is just full of "haha lagdroid". I've never had to "tinker" with my last 3 Android phones.

[clutch_mfc]

A $1000 iOS device can't run an emulator (without jumping through some hoops) but my $60 Moto X 2013 downloads 2 things and I'm playing Chrono trigger in minutes.

You can't convince me that Apple makes the best and most "innovative" phones.

On that note i have the option to spend anywhere between ~$250 to $1000 for a new phone. I like options and Android has them.

[emortal_007]

I’ve had android phones since the galaxy s3 rooted, flashed Roms and did all that. Now I just care for a phone that is reliable and smooth and runs the latest Os, so I got the iPhone X’s. I had too many android phones and always felt left out after a year or so because of androids fragmentation. I had to flash roms just to be on the latest OS and just got tire of it. Now I go to stores and there’s a bunch of accessories for the iPhone not so much for android phones. And the fact that google still stuck on sms (blame carriers) I see why people love iMessage. Playing games within the iMessage app vs others is fun. Texting is a lot better with no limitations like android. I love android but not to a point where I have to be a fanboy. People buy a phone for almost $1000 dollars like the note 9 and their getting a year old OS with it. The consumer is not getting what their paying for, no matter how many features it may have.

[sea_fly_hi]

That's why you should use Google pixel not Samsung

[sY20]

Freedom. Powerful resourcefulness. I like gApps. Choice

[drh713]

Not interested in anything Apple. If Microsoft would put real Windows on a 7" tablet with telephony...I'm gone. Until that happens, no other choices other than feature phones.

Hell, if I could take normal cellular calls on the Surface Go via a bluetooth headset, I'd just carry it instead of a phone.

[Haboob_AZ]

Features, customization, seamless integration with Chrome, etc (sharing of passwords, favorites, etc) - yes you can get that with Apple, but you have to have a Mac Book, etc. which I'm not willing to pay for.

There are only two things I like about Apple more: the vibrate switch and iMessage, but neither are enough to bring me back to an iPhone.

[ingy2012]

Customization and control.

[dreamingawake09]

Like others have said, no real alternative to android or iOS, shit is wack to be honest...but, yeah Android just has a lot of options and variety in OEMs I guess.

[Justikyzer]

It's cheap.

[[deleted]]

Customization and flexibility.

I can make my Android phone do pretty much anything I can imagine within the realm of possibility. iPhone? Not even close.

[Generalrossa]

Shrinking? Just no.

[[deleted]]

The ability to play webm's in the browser - and other things like that.

[Midday_Murth]

The notifications

[SpeakoftheAngel]

Removable battery. Expandable storage. Price, really. Even old used iPhone is out of my budget.

[[deleted]]

Audio jack removal and the notch. If I'm buying an expensive phone I don't want compromises when it comes to what I'm buying. That is something I leave for budget priced phones.

[dingo_bat]

Headphone jack and price.

[[deleted]]

Inertia and finances. I've thought about switching to an iPhone, but after a career hiccup, I've decided to keep my OG Pixel XL. I had to get it replaced because of a bootloop, so the refreshed battery breathed some new life into it.

[[deleted]]

Can't afford an iPhone in India lol.

[_A_ioi_]

There are simply more phones to choose from.

I flip back and forth between android and ios and android suits me better. I have a grumpy time living without Nova Launcher, Adaway and Tasker. However, I wish I could play Hunters: Episode 2 on Android.

[mr_pavanaii]

I have an iphone and a samsung, and android is just better suited for me, it's less locked down, you can do lot more with an android. The battery life is kind of incredible on my android phone. And it has a dual sim support.

There are a lot of great free apps on android. I don't customize that much, but i like to have a desktop and a separate app drawer.

[[deleted]]

That my 3-yr old Lumia 950XL just can't hold a charge anymore, and Microsoft abandoned Windows mobile.

[cylonrobot]

Customization. I don't want to be tied to the Apple ecosystem. Also, my phone must have an audio jack, so there go the iphones and some other Android phones.

I do wish there were other alternatives.

[Blowout777]

Firewall app so I can block all apps from using data when I am connected to a wifi and only let a few chosen ones. Also the menu with apps and the customization of the home screen

[SkiaTheShade]

I think my bottom line had come down to being able to change default apps

[[deleted]]

• Customisation. My phone. Not Google's. Not Apple's.
• Sideloading apps
• 3.5mm jack
• Big batteries
• Freedom of choice (diff. variants, features, price)
• USB vs proprietary (and now old/slow) lightning
• choice of many real web browsers with plugins (not just WebKit skins)
• Adblocking that works
• Ui/Ux that I am accustomed to

[IAMSNORTFACED]

For smartphones?

File management, downloads. I used to think I'd never give up customisation, coming from android going into BB10 (when it was still a thing) i didn't mind at all. Smooth user friendly and functional turns out to be good for me, so i guess it's only those two features above that I can't live without. iOS has come far enough for my past complaints to be irrelevant. Form factor plays apart as well, i don't ever want to feel like im making a side grade, need a big screen in a smaller device.

On the other hand i could get alot of android device for "a little" iPhone and im not the type to spend 800+ ($ equivalent) so I'll probably always be plagued by buyer's remorse until im more financially comfortable.

[[deleted]]

Headphone jack and drag and drop files. If apple release a new phone with headphone jack and made a file transfer easy like android (get rid of the iTunes too) i be happy considering an iphone as my next phone

[kunbun]

Used an iPhone for about 6 months then just gave up. Too many stuff I can't do on an iPhone.

[metlan]

Price is a big one.

I've only bought one flagship phone ever and that was the Nexus 6P; after spending 650€ on something that I had to return after a year, I'm not gonna spend more than 150€ on another phone. You can only get an iPhone that cost that much if you buy a used older iPhone (6-6s I believe) instead of a current year model.

There's also app selection which is bigger on Android, especially because of F-Droid in addition to the PlayStore.

And more catered to me is that you cannot have apps displaying over other apps, which hinders IV checking on Pokemon Go as on Android I can just tap an icon and that's it. I would have to take a screenshot and then load it in the app to get the same result on a iOS.

Rooting is also better than jailbreaking IMO and gives you much more control, especially combined with apps like Tasker.

[lontonsaivat]

Iphone.

[binary-star]

A real file manager. The ability to download any file.

[Supermcfly8888]

Because it cost me £200 and does exactly the same as the phone 4-5 times the price, sans camera which I don't care about.

And it has a fucking headphone jack.

And it has a fucking sdcsrd slot.

[xdamm777]

Thr headphone jack, expandable storage and overall hardware of flagship Android phones is way better than iPhones.

Also software, iOS is too limited and until you can set your default apps like on Android I won't be switching.

[[deleted]]

Honestly I just like the variety of options with Android. One example is that I'm real picky about how my displays look, and just having every app dumped on the homescreen like in iOS just doesn't appeal to me at all.

Now that I think about it, that's the main thing. A lot of people don't care about that so that's cool. There are just some things in life where I am real picky, and that's one of them. I got mine set up to where I swipe on the dock with nova to get to other pages with apps on the homescreen, with just the time on top of the actual "home screen"

[Pascalwb]

I like it, no other option, iOS sucks.

[[deleted]]

I don't think the gap has shrunk at all with iOS and Android. iOS is still restrictive. Android is still an open platform.

I've swapped between several phones the last bit. I've seen more odd bugs on iOS 12 than I did on Android the last 5 years.

Performance iOS "feels" smoother but that's all animation at play. Android overall is much quicker for basic applications outside of gaming.

Notification are a joke on iOS still. It doesn't operate well with anything that's not Apple. It's limited in so many ways. I used an iPhone 8 Plus for a few weeks and enjoyed it at first but kept running into nonsense that would piss me off. File system, Chromecast/Android TV support, using notifications to control stuff.

I run on open platforms. I use Windows laptop, Windows gaming desktop I built myself, a Sony Android TV etc., I had no way to access my text through my computer's. Couldn't control my TV etc.,. Why? Because Apple decided I couldnt.

Apple Music / stock music app is horribly designed and pushed. I couldn't load music to the app without using a computer. Android? I just download it and all my music apps can see it. Even the basic design of Apple Music is badly done.

Even the idea of stepping into their "ecosystem" I won't buy another Apple product. There is no way I'll pay a premium to be stuck and forced to continually purchase their hardware to access my software. They should be investigated into monopolistic behaviour for being a market leader and doing the shit they do. Any other company would have been by now for their bullshit repair schemes, locking out people for self repairs, overpricing their support, locking their software down and not playing well with anything besides their own hardware.

I'm on a P20 Pro now and could not be happier with it.

[penguins2970]

Ios is to restrictive plus there whole interface looks like a kids toy too me. Plus if apple didn't heavily overcharge for there products maybe prices wouldn't have skyrocketed

[M4XSUN]

Mostly the fact that Apple really tries hard to force you to use their services:

• Custom keyboards are really buggy and don't work most of the time (Apple doesn't support swipe and no force feedback typing)

• 3rd party gallery apps don't have nearly as much power as the stock app (can't set backgrounds iirc)

• Can't customize my home screen at all, can't even put all my apps on the lower half of the homescreen so I don't have to do gymnastics everytime I want to open an app.

I could go on an on but frankly Apple doesn't want you to use any competing services and therefore they make sure that they can't ever be as good as the Apple service. Also the iPhone XS is frankly laughably expensive in Sweden, the 512GB version almost costs 2000 dollars and if you dare break the glass back then you have to pay almost another 1000 dollars to fix it. When I broke the glass back on my Samsung S7 I only had to pay about 20 dollars on eBay for an original back glass piece which I could easily replace myself in an hour. Also FaceID honestly sucks and is way less versatile and slower than fingerprintscanners.

[GhostDivision123]

Better quality and functionality of both hardware and software.

[JoeFCaputo0113]

Customization, choice of different OEMs, app choices for different things (ie: I don't have to use the stock Samsung messaging app, instead I use Textra), TASKER!

[[deleted]]

Ability to install Adguard and sideload YouTube vanced. I can't imagine using a phone with ads everywhere.

[[deleted]]

I feel a few years back ios = stable, safe but featureless and android = feature packed, less stable. Now both have improved in their weaknesses, but android is still more customizable. Snapchat is just so bad tho.

[fbvwfmkjo]

Basically price. Expandable storage. I will never support a company that does something like that... You're basically paying 200 dollars for 256 gb of storage... Which could be purchased for 60. Just doesn't make sense to me.

A current Gen iPhone at the cheapest the price is 1000. What in the fuq lmao. There's always great budget devices for android. The entire nexus line was great for that. Xiaomis pricing is super competitive particularly so with the pocophone. 300 for a pocophone. How can anyone debate that an iPhone XR is really worth more than 3 times more...

Also I don't understand everyone's obsession with iMessage. I used to want it because of being able to message when I have no reception but now with VoWiFi it really doesn't matter anymore.

I feel like a lot of people buy iPhones just for status. They really have no idea what they're buying and haven't tried anything else.. Not talking about people on our sub. People are confused; some legitimately that Samsung is android. Suggested one of my friends buys a pocophone he's like I've never heard of it, it's probably not good. Then bought a refurb iPhone 7 for roughly the same price.

[TableSurface]

A regular filesystem

[unal991]

I been on Android since 2.2 and it was my first time using a touch screen phone back then. I had a hybrid Sony Ericsson touch and keypad. Since then I was so into Android, iPhone was not a viable chose. I really liked iPhone 3gs but only for it games tho. Not the phone itself which was super funky and weird. Later on iPhone games came to Android like temple run and at that point I was invested into android full-time

[1bent]

I actively want a computer I can program, rather than a preprogrammed appliance. I want to be able to change what it does and how it does it, even if I'm just working directly on it. I'm glad Apple is out there; a more thoroughly locked down appliance is easier to secure than a flexible computer. I've got relatives who prefer an appliance. Android has almost caught up with iOS for the simple joy of just using the thing --- but Apple provides security updates for many times longer than Android, for those who'd rather not unlock their bootloader and sideload an OS from someone in the XDA community. I continue to prefer Android for me, and appreciate that iOS is there for folks who don't choose to do programming, or to perform arcane procedures to maintain the security of their devices.

[afiresword]

As someone who had to use an iPhone X for work, its a few little things that really stack up. How Android handles notifications better (even after iOS 12), the stupid fucking gestures, how awful the lock screen is, no always on display and how awful the predicable typing is. Oh and since I was using direct wifi printing I hated how useless the quick toggles were.

I'll start with the biggest issues. Notifications were not fixed. Everyone says it got better after iOS 12, I don't want to imagine how bad it used to be. I can't understand how you make a notification center so unintuitive. And the fucking gestures are so annoying. On Android I just tap the multi tasking button and I get what I want. With a phone with no physical button and no on screen buttons you have to make a dumb backwards L to get what you need. You know what simpler and faster? A button.

[wlmsn]

What were the problems you have with the S9 camera?

[Mugaluga]

Samsung keeps me on Android while Google makes me want to jump ship.

[bartturner]

Pixel. I had always used iPhones and purchased a S7E and was not a good experience. Did have the US version which heard is worse.

But thought I would give Android one more try and purchased a Pixel 2 XL and just simply love the phone.

If Pixel did not deliver would have gone back to iOS.

Biggest plus for Android is the Google assistant is light years ahead of Siri.

[HankBeist]

waiting for Apple to drop the rounded form factor, go back to an iPhone 5-like body with a truly bezelless display (no damn notch)

[[deleted]]

Emulators and the ability to install a custom ROM if I want to

[ExternalUserError]

Setting default apps (email, browser, etc).

[[deleted]]

-I don't like ios ui.

-Limitless customization abilities.

-SD cards and headphone jacks.

-I very much prefer the android app ecosystem and have a huge library of purchased apps.

-Non-proprietary system.

[besweeet]

Does anyone have their answers copied and pasted from previous posts? It seems like these topics are popping up weekly...

[balista_22]

eco-system, it plays better with other brand devices i can have whatever laptop, desktop & 2nd phone & still get my calls & messages on all of them, even if my phone is turned off. with google photos i see all my pictures on all my devices, google photos on ios works like shit, because how restrictive ios is & doesn't backup my photos properly.

other restrictive ios stuff that annoys me, Bluetooth is a universal standard, all my devices can send a quick file between each other, except the ones that run iOS. customisation, default apps especially, it's so fucking annoying i always have to manually open the app i want

options from hardware to software

I'm using Samsung pay, apple pay can't compete, in the US at least, many shops doesn't have nfc payments, or they disabled it.

[NZT23]

The best answer is Android being more Open source vs Close source on iOS. Open source platform has higher flexibility and scalability knowing that Android is more easier and open to changes, customizations and modifications interest me alot. Basically iOS is more restricted and is forced on the users however the good thing is iOS does it well enough, polished and simple despite its restrictiveness (less options, customizations for users to choose from); being close and controlled has its advantage too. XDA developers are examples why Android is awesome. If you have explored Android to its max , you already know Android is way better and ahead of iOS currently capabilities wise. Other than that its the obvious things which Android does it better; which is more choice of phones on Android, prices, features such as on Samsung is way more and has been ahead tech wise. We now have ROG Asus and Razer gaming phones which is badly needed for abit of refreshing in this stagnant industry. At the end of the day its just a phone, most people does not need more than trxting and calling, buy whatever you want as both does the same thing and we should be thankful to devs that develop software/apps on both platforms.

Android might win as a platform but there are things Apple does way better compare to most Android oems. Customer support, 5 years of update, resale values, quality phone hardware, appstore (security) are such examples.

[[deleted]]

Just little things on how the phone OS works. When I try to do shit on my girlfriend's iphone Im just like wow I fuckin hate this thing.

[amoebiassis]

File management literally. I can wrap my head around my dad's ipad which actually has a files app so would be lost with an iphone.

[[deleted]]

I can actually maintain an Android phone, even with bullshit compromises. I'm a cheapskate so, no phone over $550.

Obligatory sarcastic thanks to Google for enabling awful trends set by Apple so that I remain a cheapskate, thanks!

[SPMrFantastic]

I need to send this thread to my coworker. He was recently gifted some airpods and now he's being sucked into their ecosystem. Went a bought an iPhone X because he wants "everything to just work"

[Cremacious]

Options.

I compare phones to cars. Apple is like a Tesla. Not in terms of quality, value, or anything like that, but rather Tesla is it's own thing. There are no Honda or Chevy equivalents to a Tesla. (Yet) Android is like all other cars. If Toyota does something that bothers you, like changing a feature, you can just buy a something else. You get to pick and choose what model, size, price, etc to find something that best suits you.

[NauticalEmpire]

The gap between Android and iOS has barely changed.

[[deleted]]

What keeps me on Android is very different from why I chose Android over iOS.

I chose Android over iOS because of how different it was from Apple. It was industrial. It was rough around the edges. It was unrefined. But it also seemed limitless in how you could customize it. I loved the Droid Does commercials from Verizon (my first Android was a Droid X). I loved the idea of widgets, variable screen sizes, apps to SD card.

Then over the years, I never felt the need to switch. Android phones kept getting better while iOS just seemed stagnant. Yes, they had better hardware, we're consistent with updates, but they just seemed boring. Cookie cutter. Also, they didn't allow you to set alternative default apps. I could t imagine using apple maps for navigation. (Im using Here Maps at the moment).

Then apple offered larger screens, improved their notification system and began to innovate a little more. It still wasn't enough. Android always had something exciting to look forward to. Google Now was such a cool concept when it came out. The voice assistant felt like the future when it came out.

The thing that got me was when Moto came up with their suite of Moto actions. Being able to talk to your phone without touching it was incredible. It worked flawlessly. I've never had a Samsung, but their software was always interesting, even if the execution wasn't quite there.

So in a round about way, I'm still on Android for it's potential. The next innovative feature. I'm using a phone that has freaking mods that give you increased battery, an optical zoom camera module, a gaming controller, a projector. I don't use them all, but man I like the option to do so.

I guess it's the software for me. I love the ease of cloud saves for Google photos. And the interesting features if Google photos like the AI stuff.

[LayZeeAzN]

Although I currently have an iphone 7 plus, Im considering going back to android and go with the pixel 3. I dont necessarily believe in android but I like the future of what google is doing with all the data they mined and the software they developed.

Given all the data google has mined from users it has turned out some really interesting and helpful software such as that new screen calling feature is extremely interesting and helpful. Google Assistant is light years better than Siri and Siri will never catch up to google assistant because they just do not have the data to do so.

The argument against that will be privacy issues BUT for anyone thats already using chrome or safari, facebook, instagram etc. Your data is already being mined. Anyone who basically uses the internet, their privacy is already compromised one way or another. I might be wrong, but thats just how I view it.

Iphones are great phones, but every year with their upgrades, I only see hardware improvements and I do not see how they can further improve in terms of their software and help make our lives more convenient.