iPhone vs. Android

[rmaynard 15,530]

I have been an Android user since I first had a cell phone (early 1980's). Only ever used an iPhone one time (iPhone 4) and could not get used to it. So it's been Android ever since. Now I am ready to upgrade to a new phone and my children, who all have iPhones, are trying to convince me to switch. Of all the Androids that I have ever owned, none have cost me over $300. My son tells me that his latest iPhone cost him $1200.00. So I am asking my Wheel Horse family for honest opinions, pros or cons. Knowing that Android has 70% of the worlds cell phone population, what's up with the iPhone?

 

Wants:

5G

Waterproof

Long-life battery (5000mAH}

256 - 512gb storage

Excellent camera

Fingerprint sensor

Wireless file transfer

Wireless charging

 

Thanks

 

 

[Pullstart 62,925]

I went from a flip phone all these years, to an iPhone 14 Pro back in November.   I chose it for the apple connections to the rest of the family as well, and for the excellent camera.  Other than it consuming a lot of my time, I don’t have regerts on the phone choice.

[oliver2-44 9,783]

1 hour ago, rmaynard said:

. My son tells me that his latest iPhone cost him $1200.00. So I am asking my Wheel Horse family for honest opinions, pros or cons. 

 

Wants:

5G

Waterproof

Long-life battery (5000mAH}

256 - 512gb storage

Excellent camera

Fingerprint sensor

Wireless file transfer

Wireless charging

 

Thanks

 

 

 

I bought a new iphone 7 last year just after the 14 came out. I paid about $350.  It does everything listed above and has a very good camera.  Even my grown kids stay several generations behind the latest and greatest.  We buy them online for a lot less than the phone stores charge for them.  It does everything you list above. I see the younger crowd using the features of the 14 with all their gaming and constant chat etc.  We usually buy used phones off Ebay or Amazon, but my old phones battery died so I didn't have time to shop around.  All my family uses iphones.......just because that where we ended up.      

 

Years ago one of my sons switched to an Amdroid , then switched back.  I seem to recall he had problem getting his phone data to transfer automatically one way or the other, don't remember which way.  So that a question to ask.   

[Skwerl58 704]

Sorry but I am an Android user and get mine from Consumer Cellular. I have a Samsung Galaxy 14 now and am happy with it. My family has I phones and we communicate with them  just fine. Apps should take care of most sharing issues. Most cameras are very good now so for me thats not an issue. My droid has the face or fingerprint verification. Can you go to a local Verizon or T mobile Store and check the different phones out? The sales people "should be"  knowledgeable about each phone and help with your questions. 

[Ed Kennell 38,305]

My $9.95 phone makes phone calls.

 

.     

[953 nut 55,377]

Mine makes and receives phone calls and isn't backwards like the one @Ed Kennell has.               

[Achto 27,624]

I've always gone with the oldest wireless communication company in the US - Motorola. Low price, great camera, same as you described does every thing I need, & I tend to beat the crap out of them with little to no damage.  My current phone is a Moto 1 - 5G, it's getting old but still working well. Think I paid under $200 for it.

 

Android & Apple both do the same things, just have slightly different ways of getting it there. Apple is a bit superior with photos & graphics. My thoughts are - If you are used to Android and don't want to hassle with learning a different operating system, then stick with Android.

 

One other note - It will be a long-long time before I get any where's close to paying $1000+ for a phone. 

[Mickwhitt 4,647]

Android user here, I did have an apple way back but once I switched to Samsung I stayed with it.

My wife was encouraged to try the Google pixel last time we swapped, she HATES it. Cannot wait to swap back to a system she I'd happy with.

So on balance I'd say stay with Android unless there's a clear benefit to changing to an I phone and all the faff that could entail. 

[rmaynard 15,530]

We were at the beach last week. The rental house had all Roku tv's. I tried to cast pictures from my Android to the Roku. Would not let me. So my daughter got her Apple and connected AirPlay and instantaneously she was casting pictures. We were there for 8 days and I never got my Motorola to work. That is one of the things I hate about Apple. They buy their way into all platforms to become the exclusive way to connect.

Edited September 10 by rmaynard

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,999]

10 minutes ago, rmaynard said:

That is one of the things I hate about Apple. They buy their way into all platforms to become the exclusive way to connect.

 

I'm an android user and the mentioned reason above is one of the reason I won't go apple. I REFUSE to sell my soul to apple for no other reason than I'm stubborn and don't want to. I have never had any issues with my android phones and I think the cameras on them are excellent. They sure beat civil war era photographs! 

[8ntruck 7,025]

I'm following this thread with interest.  I'm using my wife's old Samsung.  Our service provider has said that phone won't be supported for much longer.  That, and the fact that the computers don't recognise the phone anymore when connected via USB has me thinking that I should look for a new phone soon.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,610]

Four iphones in the family. Work flawlessly with each other and with others who have androids... 

 

We switched because of all the update / setup nonsense on our home computer back in the day - went all apple computer and phones probably 10 years ago and have not had any issues... seemless connection ...

 

[Ed Kennell 38,305]

2 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Mine makes and receives phone calls and isn't backwards like the one @Ed Kennell has.               

 

As you are aware Richard,  I am a strange duck.   Being left handed and right eyed, I had to special order my Tracfone so it would be used friendly for Edog

[rmaynard 15,530]

12 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

 I am a strange duck. Being left handed and right eyed...

 

Funny thing is that I too am left handed and right eyed. I was always laughed at at the Navy rifle range when I sighted with my right eye and pulled the trigger with my left hand.

[Ed Kennell 38,305]

16 minutes ago, rmaynard said:

 

Funny thing is that I too am left handed and right eyed. I was always laughed at at the Navy rifle range when I sighted with my right eye and pulled the trigger with my left hand.

I could never shoot right handed but I learned to use my weaker left eye to sight.     The ROTC rifle team allowed me to shoot left handed and wear a patch on my right eye when competing.

[lynnmor 7,316]

I wish that I would've started out with Android.  After my iPhone 4 became deliberately obsolete the next one was an iPhone 7 that had a battery failure and then a major hardware failure, next is my present iPhone 11 with a weak battery and the charging circuitry fails half the time.  The failures and the nonsense with making file and photo transfers all but impossible has me thinking of ridding myself of this overpriced junk.

[Bill D 1,927]

I have a Kyocera E7110 rugged Android phone from Verizon.  A little clunky operating wise compared to Samsung, but extremely impact resistant.  I can't seem to crack the screen no matter how many times I drop it.  Added bonus, made in Japan not China.

Edited September 10 by Bill D

[PWL216 889]

I would stay with an android. Apple has become a luxury brand. And there’s nothing special about the iPhone. I have to use an iPhone for work, lost it in an Uber and just paid $1,200 to replace it! I hate Apple.

[TractorEd 633]

I’ve spent the last 12 years as a mobile application software engineer and I could fill some pages up with related info, but let me be brief.

 

Until Google (Android) and Apple can be friends (way way off in the future) there are a couple of gotchas with mixing the 2 within a family and friends group.

 

FaceTime video calling is Apple only.  In order to do that type of thing with Android users, you’d have to use something like Facebook Messenger’s video calling (it’s ok, but not a great feature) which is available on both platforms. Same sort of limitation with Android.

 

Similarly, text messaging between individuals and groups between the 2 platforms is hindered by competing forces.  Sending pics and videos via text (iMessage for Apple, SMS mostly for Android) results in low (like sometimes really, really bad) quality pics/videos for the user(s) on the other end.

 

In short, if there is a mix of Android and Apple in your family/friend group, you’ll have to settle for not such a wonderful experience.

 

If everyone in your group is on one of the platforms only, then communications will be as good as it can get.  It doesn’t matter which platform as long as it’s across the board.  Just one person on a different platform means everyone’s experience with communications (whether text or video calling) will suffer.

 

There have been lawsuits filed and there has been some movement to get Apple and Google to cooperate, but it’s not here today.

 

Both platforms are great.  Both companies are innovative.

 

 

And if you don’t text or video call with people then it doesn’t even matter, lol.

edit: I blame Apple for not playing nice. 😊 

 

edit 2: because Google does have a larger market share, so Apple has to innovate and make their platform special.

edit 3: remember the browser wars?  Yeah, that’s still a thing, and now we have mobile OS wars where Apple and Google are the only players left.

 

edit 4:  I used to recommend Android.  I now use Apple and have to communicate with some Android users who I recommended it to back then; sigh, lol.   Now I recommend what I said in the paragraphs above.

 

Edited September 10 by TractorEd

[rjg854 11,389]

I'm very happy with my Google, Android phone for my needs.  Takes great pictures, I can access the web, plenty of memory and a good battery. The thing is way smarter than I am.

[MainelyWheelhorse 490]

I have an Apple iPhone SE second generation. Unlike the other iPhones it’s $400 brand new. I have had a few Android phones before, and they worked fine but it was so open files wise I could see someone screwing up the phone pretty easily. Especially if you didn’t know what you were getting into. I do like my iPhone. An added bonus being the newer operating systems are integrated together more smoothly every new version. I physically don’t need the phone on me to answer phone calls, as long as my iPad, or MacBook Pro, or Apple Watch is on.  The rest of the family all have iPhones so that is an added plus as FaceTime, Messages, and more are pretty seamless. I’m pretty gentle with my phones so no issues there. It’s all about preference. Kind of like OSX vs. Windows.

[Beap52 823]

I'm phone illiterate.  My preference is a flip phone with call and text.  When my flip phone became obsolete, My family decided that a smart phone was the way to go.  For the most part, text and talk are 90% of my phone usage. 

 

Reasons I prefer simple phone is:  I see my family can't go more than a few minutes before checking their smart phone phones seem to be addictive.  Flip phone are small and fit in pocket versus a holster on my side. (Thusly taking place of my Sneaky Pete holster.)  I'd rather do my playing on computer of evening and that is not every evening.  I think my current phone is Samsung. 

 

  I'm probably in the minority, in that, I don't have back up camera in my daily driver or use google directions when driving.  (No need because my wife does.)  Last summer on vacation, our kids depended entirely upon electronic driving directions.  They were the lead car and we followed, meanwhile I had paper road atlas.  At one point, they had us on gravel roads looking for "Field of Dreams" baseball diamond in Iowa.  We made it to all destinations, but I was scratching my head sometimes.  I admit, technology has great benefits and I'll just look over the shoulders of those who embrace it meanwhile I'll head out to the shop and let sawdust fly and get grease under my fingernails.  

[adsm08 2,095]

iPhones are good for one thing and one thing only (above what an Android can do) and that is interfacing with other Apple products.

 

If you are using and comfortable with Androids, stick to what you know.

[Handy Don 12,270]

23 hours ago, TractorEd said:

In short, if there is a mix of Android and Apple in your family/friend group, you’ll have to settle for not such a wonderful experience.

If everyone in your group is on one of the platforms only, then communications will be as good as it can get.  It doesn’t matter which platform as long as it’s across the board.  Just one person on a different platform means everyone’s experience with communications (whether text or video calling) will suffer.

 

...

Both platforms are great.  Both companies are innovative.

Disclosure: been using iPhones since I had to buy my own -- 11 years (my employer took back their Blackberry when I left).

 

I agree completely with @TractorEd that all-Apple or all-Android is the only way to have the best collaboration across all mediums.

 

I'll add that if you expect tech support from your relatives, go with what they have and if splashing out some extra cash means not buying another tractor, well, it’s easier to store a phone than a tractor.

 

BTW, one can easily get “not the latest” iPhones from online vendors and off the ‘bay or CL (with caution). I’d go no older than a 10 or 11, though, or the more recent SE. Apple support (via the Genius Bar at Apple Stores) is quite handy as are regular security updates from Apple. Not all Android vendors support older models or provide regular software updates for them for more than a few years.

Edited September 11 by Handy Don

[PWL216 889]

On 9/11/2024 at 3:40 PM, Handy Don said:

 

I'll add that if you expect tech support from your relatives, go with what they have

Very good point!