For a variety of reasons, after about 8 years, I have an iPhone as my primary phone.
When I got my first iPhone in 2010, from the initial setup, the screen resolution to the smoothness, the iPhone was love at first sight. My love for android took its own sweet time though.
I hated my first experience so much that I went back to BestBuy to return my HTC One M7. They would not take it because of a reason I now forget. I learned to live with it, discovered Nova Launcher, discovered apps for things that iOS (then iPhone OS) would do out of the box like Notifications on the lock screen, and waited on updates for others (like battery % on the status bar). Discovered rooting, CyanogenMod, and scrubbed forums for an OnePlus One invitation.
I started with not being a fan of Samsung and their TouchWiz UI but we both probably evolved, my latest and most favorite android device was the Galaxy Note 9. It was (is) a beast of a device and I purchased an iPhone partly because there is no new Galaxy Note this year (or ever?).
Looking back, the iPhone was simply better in some areas (Overall UI smoothness, Camera quality, Battery Life, east centralized control for notification sounds) and Android in others (typing, notification handling, unbelievable customization, typing). App quality was initially better on the iPhone but Android developers were catching up. With Android 5 (Lollipop) a lot of the UI sharp edges were smoother. App quality improved. When with the HTC One I could not imagine using the device without root or Tasker, I never rooted Note 9 and disabled tasker at one point. Both the iPhone and Android have come a long way, but it feels like Androids have come a longer way with a lot of hard work.
When I setup my newest iPhone (the 13 Pro Max – coming from a Note 9 the other models look small) I realized that Apple has nailed its setup experience. It was simple, straightforward and smooth. I also realized the walled gardens are even stronger. Apparently you can tap a old iPhone and all data including apps and app data are copied It is as if you never changed phones. My wife disagrees but I don’t get it, half the fun of a new phone is setting it up and customizing it (if you ever wondered why I liked Android and Nova Launcher). All of my Android setup experiences were never this smooth.
Surprisingly I am happy with iOS customization options. This was my biggest fear moving away from Android, but with the app library, the ability to remove apps from the home screen and the semi customizable control center, my customization itch has been scratched to an extent. iPhones have home screen widgets now, and they can be wither on home screens or in the left slide thing. In true Apple fashion, widgets can some in exactly two sizes. But also in true Apple fashion, they are high quality and smooth. I do miss resizing my Android widgets precisely on the 9×16 Nova home screen grid.
iOS notifications and typing still lad behind Android. Starting from list of notifications on the status bar, quick replies and actions1 to customizable notification channels2, Android has notifications nailed. Same with Typing. I can understand why the iOS keyboard was like it was 10 years ago, but there is no reason there isn’t a dedicated number row today3. Typing accuracy has improved significantly in iOS but is still miles behind Android. And BTW, why isn’t there a question mark and comma keys in the main keyboard page?
I expected Notifications and typing lagging behind Android, but my biggest surprise was app quality. When I first moved, app quality was a hit or miss on Android, but was always high quality on iOS. Android app quality has improved leaps and bounds. There are definitely ugly apps and apps that were designed as an afterthought to their iOS counterparts, but overall app quality has improved significantly in the Android world and while good it feels like iOS app quality has stagnated. Even established apps like Slack have lesser options on the iOS app than the Android apps. And there are more apps to do the same thing in Android than iOS. May be my time away from iOS is to blame and I will discover more in the future.
Privacy options on the iPhone are amazing, but most of them can be replicated to an extent (except googles own data collection) on Android with apps. I like how iPhone gives reminders for an app accessing location in the background always, but once you get used to it, nothing beats Bouncer.
One thing has not changed. The iPhone tells you how to use it. But you tell Android. The iPhone has one, single, strongly opinionated way of doing things that just works. Follow it and you will be happy, within rules and bounds. On the other hand, your Android phone may come with two calendar apps and two browsers apps preinstalled, but if you spend some time with it, you get to have a beautiful customized experience that the iPhone cannot even dream about.
It is also important that I am not even frustrated with moving from Android but I was at my wits and using my first Android phone moving from an iPhone.
I intend to keep this phone for a few years and then move to Android. I am very curious on how that experience would be.
BTW, the San Fransisco font is amazing. It is a pity, but not surprising, that it is proprietary.
- Did you know you can disable promotions but enable transactional notifications on an App level in Andorid
- iOS has them too, but is a bit hidden especially in the home screen or when in an app
- SwiftKey has it, but Gboard in Android has a number row that changes to quick symbols when the shift key is pressed
Nivas' 